The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-22
me WORK OF The Legislature.

ION providing for biennial sessions Of the
Legislature was intended 10 reduce the cost
Of legislation. Thai purpose has und0uos-
edly lse1. defeated While there was, tacbni-
cally. c.,y one s~z-ioa Of the Legislature
which hAs Just al journed, there were real =
two. There was a regular session Of more
than f9rty days lsst year and an al
journed ssss.on Of l.' tuis year, about
Ia DAYS in all I, j. safe % SAY that the
SONS Of future Legislatures will increase.
rather t5an decrease. IN length, a. the in
tetests sn all parts of the state demanding
legislation are multiplying
The way 10 lessen the expenses Of legisis-
ton . not by trying 70 limit the time which
the legislature shall remain in session, but
BY reducing the number Of
tie subjects Of legislation. IL
the close o. the regular session last Deem
Der the MoENIyG NEWS suggested the ad-
visibility Of submitting to the people an
Amendment 70 the constitution giving COUn-
~ Commissioners, municipal authorities
and State officers authority 10 pass upon
many Of the local and other matters which
now occupy the greater part Of the time o.
the legislature. There might be general
laws passed. also. covering a great many
matters that would relieve the Legislature.
1t u not TOO much to say that more than half
Of the measures which are passed upon
by the legislature a. % much cost % the
STATE and, in some instances, 10 those
specially interested in them. could b. much
more expeditiously and inteligently az
tended TO by city, county or State autnori-
ties. 4 distinguished member Of the Leg
stature from this county a few weeks ago
pointed cut among other things that much
Of the tine Of tue Finance Committee and
Of the legislature was taken up with the
adjustment Of the accounts Of tax collector.
and suggested that a matter Of the sort
could be handled Just a. well and perhaps
better, b. the State officers vino are familiar
with il. and 20 whom the Legislature has 70
appeal frequently for information with re-
gard to it. This is only one Of many things
Of which the Legisl ature could Re relieved
Why Is il then that no steps have been
taken to inaugurate the reform herein out
lined, Il can not be that men big enough
for such work are not found in the Legisla-
ture, for some OF the ablest in the State are
sent there. 1t must be because the
time Of the really able members is 50 occu-
pied with local matters in which their con-
stituents are interested that they haven't
time TO think out reforms and urge their
adoption.
Doubtless the great ma ioritY Of the MEM
bers Of the present legislature feel that
they have worked faithfully. and have done
all they could to meet the expectations en-
tertained with regard 70 them. but they
will admit, probably, that during the two
sessions they did very little that is conspic-
nous for its Importance. They discussed
the convict problem. but they didn't solve
it, Indeed they did nothing with regard TO
It. The lease system remains. and, that
too, without any enactment to reform those
features Of it which have been, and are still,
the occasion Of widespread complaint.
The claim of the lessees Of the State road
for compensation for betterments was not
disposed Of, and the question whether the
road shall be leased or sold remains an open
one. These important matters will have to
be handled by the next Legislature under
such pressure for time that it viii be very
difficult to protect the States interests
fully. Even the Marietta and North Geor-
gia bond business was not settled, although
it was an urgent one throughout the entire
session. At the last moment il was packed
upon the already overburdened shoulders of
the Governor with instructions that, after
investigating it, if he found he had no
authority to settle it to turn it over to the
next Legislature.
For years the press Of the State has in
sisted that there should be a reform in the
methods of assessing property. There isn't
member Of the Legislature who doesn't
know that the burdens Of taxation are I'M
equally borne The honest man pays more
taxes than he ought to and the dishonest
one finds no difficulty in getting a receipt
for all he owes the State by paying small
part of what the law intends he shall pay.
This is not right, and yet no special effort
was made during the session just closed to
distribute the tax burden equally
OF course it is an easy matter to find
fault, but it is only by finding fault and
pointing out the shortcomings of those
selected for public service that the people
get their affairs attended to as they should
he